New Zealand high country Station and Blue Borage Honey

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About us

Muzzle station is a high country property on the Clarence river between the Seaward and Inland Kaikoura ranges. The 18,000 ha property was the pastoral lease part of Bluff station, it was bought by Tina and Colin Nimmo in 1980 and the original Bluff homestead is still used today. The name Muzzle comes from one of the large rivers on the property.

Muzzle Station is regarded as one of the most isolated stations in New Zealand.

In 1985 a road was put in to connect to the Clarence Reserve road, this takes about 3 hours by 4 wheel drive to get to Kaikoura providing you can cross the Clarence river and get over the 4000 feet Seaward Kaikoura range.

In 2007 a tenure review was done with 10,000 ha taken over by DOC and 8,000 ha kept by Tina and Colin Nimmo as freehold. Also a long term lease of 8,000ha of the Clarence reserve was obtained.

The Station runs about 2000 Hereford cattle, 4000 Merino Sheep and 600 Beehives. The 600 Beehives produce Blue Borage honey and a very small amount of Bush blend honey. Horses are also bred on the property for racing, eventing and mustering.

Aircraft are an important part of the farm equipment for access and mustering, we have a Cessna 180, Auster and a R22 helicopter. Mustering is done mainly on horse back with assistance from the helicopter.

The property is run by Tina and Colin Nimmo and Fiona and Guy Redfern. Lucy and A.J Mahuika run the honey business.

14 thoughts on “About us”

How Old do I feel! I just watched Country Calender and it brought back many great memories of helping out on the Muzzle Muster, with my Auntie (Jenny Ward) and cousin (Shannon Ward). We took in some horses, one in which was a cute, old furry little number called ‘Nickle’, which was for Fiona, (who must have been about 4 at the time!!!) Great to see you all looking so well. Regards, Joedy Nicholl

Saw the Country Calender program and loved what we saw. Is there any way we could come and visit and hire a helicopter ride over part of the area something high on our Bucket List . If this is possible we would love to hear from you to take the idea further Best Regards Alan

enjoyed your country calender, have ventured to the top of Jollies Pass and had a fish there but ran out of tim to explore on further. where are you from the top of jollies pass and where the road follows the clarence north. at that point the power lines head north. kind regards Alan.

Wow! Fantastic programme about you all on Country Calendar. What an amazing station and what beautiful healthy Herefords. You are an inspiration to us all. Keep up the good work. We live in the northern Manawatu & people think we live in the wops. We only have 45 mins. to get to our nearest town, Feilding. Regards, Mary

Hello Colin and Tina, Just seen a replay of CC..It was brilliant and makes me so proud to be a Kiwi seeing our beautiful high country in such good hands as yours !!.I remember all the challenges you have had , well we all have them in many different ways.Sarah and I always planned to return to Auckland when our children left home in Christchurch.We arrived late last year and Mum (85) returned also after leaving 80 years ago !!.
Best Wishes

Hello Colin & Tina – also Lucy & A.J., and Fiona & Guy. Watched Country Calendar on Sat evening – brought back many hapy memories of my time with Lands & Survey Blenheim – twelve wonderful years. I had some contact with you via our radio links and remember the time Dan Murphy brought you (Colin) to see me. I also saw you on TV when the series on NZ Rivers had the program on the Clarence. Things being as they are for me, I’ll probably never get to see much of the high country but it’s good to know you’re still there – with the next generation now involved. My very best wishes to you all. Robert.

Hello There
This is the second time i have watched this and i love it. I would really love to come up and do a muster but i am still at school i love the Muzzle station it is one of my dreams to work there. Good to see you on here to Jono Green working hard.

Just found some old diaries I kept as a trainee rabbiter in the late 70’s which is the reason I found this website. I was with the Kaikoura PDB stationed at Kaikoura and Paranui near Kekerengu in 1978. I had just turned 18, a city boy fresh from Wanganui in the North island and this was the first big adventure of my life. On a couple of occasions we rode motorbikes out to the Bluff homestead (a bloody long way on an Ag 100) and camped there for rabbit control work. Les Battersby was my boss but Barry Nicol was in charge of those fantastic journeys to the homestead. From memory there was a small hydro power plant in the creek, a Pelin wheel or similar name. The house was abandoned to the possums at that stage. Reckon there was 50 plus gates to open and close between there and Kekerengu but that might be an exaggeration.
I’m now 54 and living in Christchurch but often think back to the wonderful adventures we had in that spectacular country. On the other side of the river I spent a couple of weeks at Quail Flat from where we carried out a big aerial poison drop, 120 tonnes of carrot was flown off in a Beaver and a Pawnee. We enjoyed helping the Thomas brothers clear the stock and spent evenings with them in the old cob house yarning and playing Drafts. John and Hook stuck a small pig when out on the muster and that night the camp cook served up one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Ernie Thomas had not long finished building the road in over the range from the Inland Kaikoura road and I felt it a privilege to drive that road with him in the cab of his 4×4 as he described how it was all done.

I’d like nothing more than to take a motorbike from Kekerengu to the inland Kaikoura road following those same tracks. Could somebody please tell me if this is allowed/possible and if so, where is the Clarence crossed at low water.

I have fond memories of working there with John Lowe and his building gang in t 1988. Such a beautiful place, completely amazing and very much un touched
due to Colin and Tinas fantastic attitude to farming and using only horses for mustering, leaving the natural environment intact.